Wrestling Screaming Eagle

Dove Creek, Dolores teams compete at Paonia tournament

Dove Creek wrestling bounced back last Saturday to take second as a team at Paonia's Screaming Eagle tournament.

The Bulldogs, ranked No. 3 by coloradopreps.com, took on top-ranked, defending 2A state champion Paonia last Friday in a dual.

Things didn't go well for Dove Creek in a 54-14 loss.

"We got beat up pretty good in that dual. Paonia is really tough," 19th year Bulldogs coach Shane Baughman said. "I don't know if it was the bus ride or whatever, but we didn't wrestle well at all."

But the Bulldogs had a short memory and bit the competition Saturday in the 16-school tourney. Paonia took first-place.

"The next day they came back and wrestled real well," Baughman said.

Especially, Tyler Ebberts at 138 pounds.

The senior went 4-0 to win the title with perhaps the most Herculean of efforts.

Ebberts claimed an 11-7 decision in the finals over a Paonia wrestler, whom he lost to the night before. But redemption was earned with great inspiration.

The 138-pound title match was temporarily stopped because of an injury timeout. There was no forfeit, but Ebberts had a broken nose.

Yes, a broken nose.

"He had the most courageous match I've seen in my career. He had a shattered nose," Baughman said. "When you break your nose, you have a fractured eye socket and broken sinuses. It's incredibly painful. He had the courage to come back and wrestle. He showed a lot of heart and a lot of determination. He went ahead and finished the match and won."

"It's a good measuring stick at this point. He got a good look at his regional competition," Bears first-year coach Leo Garand said. "He won pretty handily in the final. It's a good look to see where he stands at regionals."

Dolores will wrestle Saturday morning in Ignacio as well. Garand should have a near full roster by then.

"We'll have at least eight or nine wrestlers back in the lineup," he said. "It will be nice to have a whole lineup back for this tournament and we'll get a good look at the rest of the team, as far as where they're at right now."